I am thinking of a 4 month continuous uk trip in my Triton 420 next year and am assessing if the van is up to it. Recently I viewed a Coachman Pastiche 470 WWV and was rather impressed. "Traitor" I hear some you mumble as you fumble for your sharp knives ready to plunge them in to me . But wait up. The Pastiche has : A full length enclosed shower, oven, microwave, large fridge, transverse sofa bed, Led lights where you need them, and a solar panel . Full Alde gas and electric heating remotely controllable and lots of interior light. 10 year warranty against damp.The price new is the same as a Troll 530.It is somewhat bigger, just under 2 feet longer and 6 inches wider and somewhat heavier so size and weight may be a factor. Apart from the fact that the Pastiche looks like a dogs b*m whats not to like ?

I love TV as well as Eribas
big_scene-2.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

My pennies worth is this. The Eriba experience is akin to camping rather than caravanning and camping is quite different. It captures the essence of a simple quiet life and is a antidote to the noice and clutter of consumerism which is all around us and can become utterly exhausting . I mean, how much do we really need to be happy ? Is it not the case that the basic amenities of an Eriba are as much as we need? Do we really need a built in microwave in a van to be happy?

We wouldn’t want to drag anything bigger than
out Troll around the UK or Europe. Also, We can only take what we need rather than drag half the house with us. Perfect 😁

I agree with it being more like camping. I don't want camping life to be like life at home.

A very dear friend of ours coined the phrase "caravamping" to express, perfectly we think, what Eribaing is about. Not quite caravanning not quite camping but somewhere in betweeen

Denise & Phil

This is very timely - we're just about to press the button (or flesh) on a newer, more expensive eriba and we've been going through the same thought process. it always ends the same - it can't be beaten!

Och, it is all to do with COMPROMISE what to you want to do? and how best to achieve it? we "housed down" from a wonderful 2 berth VIP Coachman when we retired to our favourite holiday area, summer and winter (Strathspey is a clue) So, no need for large washroom and toasty C Htg Reassess priorities and we are Trolled! ideal for our short UK only trips, 35% less diesel, negligible depreciation, no worries on narrow West Coast roads and, best of all it's not another white box ...... "Is it an Airstream?" ! "caravamping" says it all, neat and timeless, just like Eribas! Finally, ALV at Tebay are excellent - recommended without reservation by The Original Mackays (as they call us!)

Hope you get what you want - we got Tony and Zoe's 540 and love the extra room - we've called her Marmite Too

Denise & Phil

Great post Robert Wilson. We don't even have a microwave at home and don't feel like we're missing anything. Eriba life is like cosy camping to us, and we seek out beautiful campsites where you can have a camp fire and caravans are not generally welcomed. If/when the Eriba doesn't do it for us anymore, it'll be time for Warner Hotels or Viking River Cruises.

We had a trannie van conversion a few years back but sold that when we got a narrowboat to do up. Now that is finished we considered another camper but wanted something without too much work but these were just too expensive. We always like Eribas when we saw them on campsites and always felt if we went for a caravan it would be one of those. Our new (to us) triton 420 will let us go back to all those places where the canals don't go.

Thank you all for your very insightful responses. It is interesting that after two weeks of ruminating I still have not be able to push the button for the WWV Coachman Pastiche 470 despite all its mod cons and feel protective of my Triton which has served me well thus far . How exciting for you Stevejoyce to have swopped your NB for a Triton. I did the same about three years ago . I did like the Narrow boat but my goodness it did brake down a great deal. There seemed to be a drama around every bend. The trouble with the NB is that it packed too many amenities in to one small entity and the whole thing was far too complicated for me . It had six batteries for chr**ts sake and as a consequance the electrics were an absolute nightmare to say nothing of the plumbing. In my Triton everything is so simple that even I can usually figure out whats gone wrong not that much does goes wrong as it happens. I have a feeling that the Coachman might also be a complicated nightmare once out of warranty. Do any other members have a view on Eribas v WWV's ?

Quote: robert wilson wrote in post #14

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Thank you all for your very insightful responses. It is interesting that after two weeks of ruminating I still have not be able to push the button for the WWV Coachman Pastiche 470 despite all its mod cons and feel protective of my Triton which has served me well thus far . How exciting for you Stevejoyce to have swopped your NB for a Triton. I did the same about three years ago . I did like the Narrow boat but my goodness it did brake down a great deal. There seemed to be a drama around every bend. The trouble with the NB is that it packed too many amenities in to one small entity and the whole thing was far too complicated for me . It had six batteries for chr**ts sake and as a consequance the electrics were an absolute nightmare to say nothing of the plumbing. In my Triton everything is so simple that even I can usually figure out whats gone wrong not that much does goes wrong as it happens. I have a feeling that the Coachman might also be a complicated nightmare once out of warranty. Do any other members have a view on Eribas v WWV's ?

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